1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computing systems, and more particularly, to code execution.
2. Background
Computing systems (stand-alone and networked) are commonplace. The Internet has increased the popularity of electronic commerce, where users of computing systems conduct millions of electronic transactions. This increase in popularity has also made computing systems and user information vulnerable to pirates (sometimes known as “hackers”).
Operating systems are computer programs used to perform certain computing tasks, such as, for example, managing input/output tasks, peripheral devices (for example, storage devices) and file systems. Operating systems provide a software platform on top of which other software applications are written. Software applications are used for various tasks, including, for example, word-processing, electronic mail (email) and Internet browsing. Some common operating systems include Windows®, Linux®, IBM® OS/2, MacOS, UNIX, and MS-DOS.
Many operating systems are pirated (or “hacked,” i.e., they experience unauthorized use or interruption) through use of disruptive software programs, such as those known as computer viruses, worms, key-loggers, and root-kits. Securing operating systems and overall application code execution is a challenge.
Furthermore, software applications will often run on multiple operating systems or hardware platforms. Typically, separate code for a software application must be created for each different environment/platform. This is expensive and undesirable. An efficient method and system are desirable for managing code for software applications to be used on different hardware and software platforms.